Euronetwork frequently asked questions

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FAQ..

How to get the best picture from a HDMI TV

When setting up our HDMI TV the connections are an often neglected part of the equation. After all, we are such a hurry to get it up and running who cares as to whether or not it is connected correctly.

This of course, is a crucial mistake. Modern HDMI televisions often have several different connections that can greatly improve the picture quality. These connections may include component, composite, coaxial, DVI, HDMI, and PC input.

Of these connections, the one to go for if possible is HDMI. This carries a high definition video signal of up to 1080p and multichannel audio making it an excellent choice. Combine this with a high quality HDMI cable and the overall result will be much better.

If however, a HDMI port is not an option for you, the best alternative would be component video. This is the three coloured jacks that split the signal into three different parts (two colour, one brightness). Component video can handle high definition video although not with the same ease or quality as HDMI.

Is there a limit to my HDMI cable’s length?

HDMI cables are not limited in the respect that they can be manufactured in any length you desire but it is important to remember that as the cable increases the signal strength may decrease.

This is due to signal attenuation (intensity and amplification) and can differ significantly depending on the quality of construction and materials. Typically, HDMI cables are between 5 and 15 metres but an HDMI extender can be used to boost this up to 50 metres.

Optical fibre HDMI cables when used in conjunction with an extender can boost this signal even further with a range of over 100 metres.

Common problems associated with poor HDMI cables or overly long ones are blinking displays and instability due to the weakened signal strength.

Do gold connectors make a difference?

Gold connectors are used in the construction of HDMI cables to improve the quality of the digital signal produced. They will not improve the quality of the image since either a digital image is there or not unlike analogue images that can be fuzzy or distorted.

HDMI cables with gold connectors will suffer from less corrosion than other types of metals such as tin. They tend not to oxidize with age as can be seen from other metals.

There are many arguments as to whether or not gold connections have any significant benefits in terms of digital media with many people voting both for and against.

Serious audio and videophiles opt for gold connections because of the increased longevity and signal strength.

I Have a Wall Mounted HDMI TV and my HDMI cable does not fit. Help!

With many HDMI TV’s having flat screens modern trends have led to the majority being wall mounted. Although being aesthetically pleasing, this can cause issues with cabling.

Due to HMDI TV’s being so close to the wall, it can prove difficult to plug your HDMI cable into the back of the unit because of the lack of clearance.

How do you get around this problem? The answer is simple, using a right angle adapter will allow you access to the now hard to obtain HDMI port at the rear of your HDMI TV.

These ninety-degree male to female HDMI adapters are gold plated for increased signal quality and are perfect for televisions fitted close to a wall.

Can I Convert DVI-D to HDMI?

If you have a DVI-D source that you want to convert to HDMI or vice versa then an adapter is needed to help these two differing technologies talk to each other. These connectors allow a female HDMI connector to be joined to a male DVI-D connector.

HDMI and DVI-D share the same technology and were designed following the same specifications and these adaptors allow a piece of DVI-D equipment to be connected to a HDMI port or vice-versa.

These adaptors are available in two different formats namely, HDMI female to DVI-D male or HDMI male to DVI-D female.

What is a Video Splitter?

In its simplest term, a video splitter is a device that takes a signal from a single source and then duplicates it across several monitors or televisions. The amount of times this signal can be duplicated depends directly on the type of splitter you use.

Euronetwork supply video splitters in three variations namely 2, 4 and 8 way splitters. These video splitters as their names suggest can duplicate twice, four times and eight times respectively.

A video splitter is used for the replication of VGA video sources to multiple monitors and can be seen in action in airports and conference centres for example.

When Would I use an Ethernet Switch?

An Ethernet switch allows you to connect several PC’s together in a network. Similar to a hub, an Ethernet switch differs in the fact that it is considered much quicker. It divides a computer network into several segments and acts as a bridge between them.

Information and data can then be sent between all the computers controlled by the switch and as each packet of data is sent, the connection is then terminated to prevent congestion over the network.

Essentially, all you are doing is creating a virtual crossover cable between two computers. Ethernet switches have a bandwidth in excess of 200 Mbps, wich is 100 Mbps each way. This bandwidth is not shared amongst the other computers on the switch either.

Therefore if you have a network that has multiple devices that exchange information then an Ethernet switch can allow you to do this without problems occurring with data transfer.

Can I Watch Camcorder Movies in High Def on my HDMI TV?

Yes, camcorders have the ability to have the media stored on them viewed via a HDMI TV. This can be done simply by connecting the right cables from the camcorder to the television.

What cables do you need? RCA cables can be used to transfer the video to your television. These comprise of a 3.5 mm, 4 pole male to 3 x RCA male cable that links the camcorder to a television in order for the footage to be played through the television.

Alternatively, some camcorders have the ability to link to a computer via a firewire cable. This means that the video can be transferred to the computer from the camcorder and then burned to a CD or streamed via a home network to be played back on your HDMI TV.

- How can I connect my X-box 360 to my HDTV?

Connecting an X-box 360 to a HDTV is a relatively simple task. A component HD AV cable available connects the HDMI port on the rear of an X-box to the RCA phono ports located behind a HDTV. This allows any game played through the X-box to be viewed in high definition quality with resolutions between 720p or 1080p (switchable). This cable supports 5.1 Dolby digital and can also be connected to standard televisions via composite connectors.

Another way to unleash the high def potential of your X-box is through a HDMI cable. Similar to the component HD AV cable, the HDMI cable has one crucial difference. This is that rather than having several RCA plugs it simply has one HDMI connector on each end. One thing to remember however, that is this cable is only usable providing there is a HDMI socket available on the television. This cable supports Dolby surround sound and resolutions up to 1080p.

- How do I connect my laptop to another monitor? (VGA)

The majority of modern laptops have the ability to connect to an external monitor via a 15-pin video connection port. A VGA cable is used to connect this port to the corresponding 15-pin connector on the back of the external monitor. This cable works for both CRT and flat screen monitors and is the easiest method to connect the two.

Some laptops will automatically detect the new monitor but this is not always the case. Do not worry however, since video settings can be adjusted manually through your operating system. Once connected, monitor resolution can be altered via the display properties tab to optimise the visual display.

- What is DVI?

DVI or Digital Video Interface was first developed and introduced by the Digital Display Working Group. Their main aim was to try to achieve the best picture quality possible from analog to digital devices.

There are three different types of DVI, which are DVI-A (analog signal), DVI-,D (digital signal) and DVI-I (integrated analog or digital). These connectors allow the connection of various devices such as a VGA monitor or large screen television.

If a digital signal is sent to an analog monitor then the signal is converted to analog but if the signal is sent to a digital source such as a LCD television then there is no need for any conversion. Quality is enhanced when dealing with since converting to analog can lead to a loss in image sharpness.

- What is RJ45?

In reality, there are actually several RJ (Registered Jack) interfaces ranging from a RJ11 through to a RJ61. However, because of the similarity in appearance of these cables they are often referred to as RJ45’s.

The most commonly used jacks are the RJ11, RJ14, and RJ25 and are used to connect telephone lines to computers. They are also used for connecting multiple computers to form a wired network.

In realty, the RJ45 is used with the same regularity as the other RJ cables but it is a standard connection between modern telephone lines, Ethernet, and Internet connections.

Cable lengths can vary dramatically depending on the application and are available in various guises. These include unbooted, injection moulded, and shielded cables. Shielded cables should be used when electromagnetic interference may be an issue.

- What is SCART?

The term SCART is derived from Syndicat des Constructeurs d’Appareils Radiorecepteurs et Televiseurs. Originally, it was a French standard and as a connector, is only available in Europe.

It was first used in the late ‘80’s to connect video recorders, televisions and related peripherals through one industry standard cable rather than a myriad of cluttered, messy cables.

As SCART’s popularity has increased, more and more audiovisual products are being produced with at least one connector as standard. Many actually have multiple connectors to allow more than one device for example, television, DVD player and set top box.

One problem with SCART is that when more than one device is connected together they will all compete for attention. By this, we mean that for instance if you have a DVD player and a set top box, both appliances will try to take priority. Generally, there are two ways to alleviate this, either turn one device off or purchase a SCART switch box to control them.

- Can I Watch Videos on TV that are stored on my Laptop?

The simple answer to this question is yes but in order to do so the correct cables will be needed. There are several ways to achieve this but perhaps the easiest is to use an S Video cable and an audio cable.

Most modern laptop computers have an S Video port to allow picture transfer from the computer to a television. This is great but does not transmit sound. For this, you will need a cable to connect the headphone jack on the laptop to the red and white audio connectors on the television.

Once these are all connected, you can then use the display settings on your laptop to select the television as the primary monitor. This should then display a mirror image of your desktop on the television screen allowing you to use the television in the same way as a computer monitor.

If you have a television with a HDMI port then another way of achieving the same result is to use a HDMI to DVI cable. This does exactly the same thing as the S Video and audio cables but only one cable is needed and high definition output will be given.

- What is a CODEC?

In simple terms, a CODEC is a computer program that is used code/decode or compress/decompress. It takes video files and compresses them while at the same time making them playable through your favourite media player. To do this, a CODEC pack will be needed.

CODEC’s are used because video files are often large and therefore hard to send via the Internet. For this reason, CODEC’s make the file small enough to transfer easily and then decompress them to allow them to be played back. Without the use of a CODEC, downloading a video would take significantly longer.

There are many different CODEC’s available and there is not one definitive answer. It is better to use a CODEC pack that contains a selection of the most popular CODEC’s. If your media player does not support the CODEC needed to view a video file then alternative CODEC packs may have to be installed.

- What is SATA?

SATA stands for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, which is the successor to the original PATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment). PATA cables can be found inside most modern computer systems connecting the motherboard, hard disk, and floppy/optical drives.

The advantages SATA has over PATA are that they are extremely thin and double the length. This dramatically improves airflow inside the computer case due to its thinness and the fact that it can be routed around the case to further aid cooling which is becoming increasingly important as modern computer components run at high temperatures.

SATA also allows hot swapping (removal or swapping of equipment attached to the cable while the computer is running) and does not use the master/slave configuration of PATA. SATA operates at a much lower power requirement.

- What does Multimedia mean?

Put quite simply, multimedia is several or multiple forms of media put together. For instance, the media can be in the form of images, sound, text, the list goes on. However, the combination of some or all of these forms being rolled into one application or use creates multimedia.

The term multimedia can be applied to different areas and is sometimes also known as electronic media such as a device that stores and utilises electronic data. A computer or video game may be a good example of this. A multimedia experience on the other hand could be a live event that utilises these varying formats to give the viewer/listener an interactive experience.

In essence, multimedia is the use of a multitude of media formats in a form that allows the user to fully interact and utilise with them for not just entertainment purposes but for a host of other applications too.

- What is S-Video?

S-Video (separate or super video) can be found on most modern electronic equipment and is the next step up from composite video that uses RCA cables to transmit data. S-Video uses a mini-DIN plug to transmit a much clearer image than its composite counterpart does.

It achieves this by doing away with some of the extra processing involved in producing an audio visual stream. Rather than the usual method of transmitting video where Y and C data streams were compressed into a single stream, S-Video sends the same data via two separate wires surrounded by a single sheath. It is this that improves video clarity and sharpens the image.

- What is FireWire?

FireWire is simply Apples version of the IEEE 1394 high speed serial bus. It is primarily used to transmit video and images from one digital source to another in such appliances as camcorders and some digital cameras. However, it can be used to transmit all forms of data such as audio, etc. FireWire allows devices to be hot switched while the computer is running and is plug and play.

It must be remembered that the IEEE 1394 bus is not unique to Apple, Both Sony and Texas Instruments have their own variations, iLINK and LYNX respectively.

- Can I add Audio Visual Equipment to my Home Network?

Home networks are already set up in many peoples homes in either wired or wireless formats. This is especially the case with the increased use of Internet routers. Connecting our games consoles and audiovisual equipment is the next logical step to create an overall multimedia system that can be utilised throughout our homes.

This can be as simple a process as connecting a television to our computer with the use of DVI or HDMI cables or if the computer is not in the same room as our other equipment; we can use the router and wireless capabilities to connect everything together.

We can connect the games console to the router via an ethernet cable or by a wireless dongle if applicable. Not only does this allow you to play games online but can provide a means of streaming media from your computer through your television. Windows Media Player 11 for instance gives your computer the facility to share your audio, photos, and video with popular consoles such as a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360.

- When Should I use a Surge Protector?

Surge protectors provide a first line of defence against any sensitive electronic equipment becoming damaged because of spikes in the domestic power supply. These spikes are quite common with our normal electrical supply but because some modern electrical appliances such as personal computers and expensive audiovisual equipment have more sophisticated, delicate components that can suffer or become damaged by such power changes.

Obviously, if equipment breaks due to this kind of surge then not only do you have the expense and inconvenience of replacing said item but in the case of a computer, important data could be lost too.

In most circumstances, a surge protector uses Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) to divert any unwanted electricity to a ground wire instead of allowing it to pass through the electrical equipment. MOV’s are connected to a semiconductor which when the voltage is at a ‘normal’ level allows electricity to flow freely. However, should the voltage go above a predetermined level, the MOV goes into action and diverts the electricity.

- What is TOSLINK?

TOSLINK is an optical cable constructed from fibre optics. Originally designed by Toshiba (TOShilba LINK), it carries a digital audio signal between audio components. Popular with Apple computers, Sony Mini Disc players and CD players TOSLINK uses fibre optics for superior sound quality and fast transfer speeds.

Cables are limited to 10 metres or under to keep reliable transfer and sound quality is 32 bit. The TOSLINK standard can also be sometimes referred to as EIAJ optical.